Vertical-filing compressor.



O. HASKELL. VERTICAL FILING eoMPREssoR.

APPLICATION FILED F1313A 9, 1909.'

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

IN VENTR @ZC a zr /v/ d//l y WIIWESSE'S.

OLCOTT HASKELL, OF SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA.

VERTICAL-FILING COMPRESSOR.

caesar.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9, 1909.

Patented Feb. 'a, 1910.

serial No. 476.999.

block.

In devices of this class, the compressor is constructed and adapted to be moved up close to and to bear upon the contents of the drawer with a pressure suflicient to hold the tiled papers, etc., vertically; and to be moved back away from them when necessary either to relieve them or to provide room for the insertion of others. There is frequent trouble in this operation of moving the compressor, due to the manner of mounting it and to the devices by which it is held in place at the point at which it is adjusted. It is often diflicult to release it, to slide it along, and to re-fasten it. In practice, also, the usual adjusting devices, require a special construction of the drawer, generally a rod in the` drawer, upon which a depending tongue on the compressor is mounted to slide.

The object of my invention is to provide a compressor of such character as will adapt it to be readily relieved, to freely move when relieved, and to accurately return to a locked condition; and to be thus operative in any drawer, whether of special construction or not.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel compressor or follower-block, and in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts which I shall now fully describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of a drawer or receptacle, containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on line aof Fig. l.

l is a drawer or receptacle of any kind, having no special construction with regard to mounting the compressor.

2 is a plate or sheet of metal, wood or cardboard, which is cut to lit, and lies loosely in the bottom of the drawer.

The compressor or followenblock may be made wholly or in part of wood or metal or the two combined. It has a body portion 3, the front of which as is customary sloped backwardly a little, and its vertical back terminates sufficiently above the plane of the lower edge of its front, to have formed along its lower edge a finger-hold at a, Fig. l. The block has legs 5 at each end, which extend below its lower edges, and are provided with inwardly turned feet The back of the block, near each end, has downwardly projecting cramping lugs 7, which terminate above the plane of the feet l, a distance sutliciently greater thanthe thickness of the plate 2 lying in the bottom of the drawer, to allow said plate to fit its surfaces freely between the `lower edges of the cramping lugs 7 and the upper surfaces of the cramping feet 6. To fit the followerblock or compressor to the drawer l, it is rst slipped upon the plate 2 (before the latter is put in the drawer) by passing said plate between the feet 6 and the lugs 7. Then the plate with its attached follower is dropped into the drawer. In the unrestrained position of the compressor, it stands on its feet in the bottom of the drawer, with its back perpendicular to said bottom, as seen in Fig. l. To move it to or from its work the operator has merely to tilt it forward. This may be done by grasping it by its top, but as the grip at this point is somewhat inconvenient on account of the presence and pressure of the files a more convenient and effective grip is afforded by the finger-hold 4E. Placing his fingers, therefore in the linger-hold 4l, he tips the block forward so that the crampingdugs T are lifted from the surface of the plate 2, and the only bearing edges are then the back edges of the feet 6 against the under surface of the plate 2, and their front edges against the drawer bottom. In this position the compressor I will slide freely forward or back. But when the compressor reaches the filed contents ofthe drawer and their pressure is imposed upon its front, it will thereby be forced to slightly tip, or to have a tendency to tip backward, and in this position it will be cramped upon the plate 2, by reason of its lugs 7 coming down upon said plate, and its feet 6 coming up to said plate, which results in binding the compressor firmly upon the plate. This continues as long as the pres sure is on the compressor. To relieve it, the

Q Maes? operator has merely to tilt it forward by lifting on the inger-hold et, whereupon it may be freely slipped back along the plate.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. In combination with a tiling drawer, a plate loosely lying in the bottom of said drawer, and a follower-block salida-bly litted upon said plate and provided with cramping devices operative under the pressure et' the files to engage said plate and hold the block, and to relieve said block to slide when tilted.

2. In combination with a tiling drawer, a plate loosely lying in the bottom ot said drawer, and a follower-block, provided with cramping devices at the lower portion ot each end, slidably engaging the sides of the plate, and operative under the pressure ot the files to hold the block and to relieve said block to slide when tilted.

:3. In combination with a tiling drawer, a plate loosely lying in the bottom ot said drawer, and a follower-block having legs with crampingI feet, said legs having also cramping lugs rearwardly of said feet and terminating short of the plane of the upper surface of the cramping feet, the surl'aces ot said plate passing between the feet and lugs of the block, whereby said block is adapted to cramp upon the plate under the pressure of the files and to slide thereon when tilted.

il. In combination with a filing drawer, a plate loosely lying in the bottom of said drawer, and a follower-block having legs with cramping feet and with cramping lugs rearwardly of said feet and terminating shortot the plane of the upper surface oi the cramping feet, said block having the lower edge ot its back terminating short of the lower edges of the cramping lugs, to itorm a linger-hold, to enable it to be tilted, the surfaces ot' said plate passing between th'e feet and lugs whereby the follower-block is adapted to cramp upon the plate under the pressure of the .tiles and to slide thereon when tilted.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

OLCOTT HASKELL.

lVitnesses:

WVM. F. BOOTH, D. B. RICHARDS. 

